Je Regrette Rien

-7-

Mme. Delacour gathered up the members of her party and even some of those that weren't her own; Susan, who had been left in her care and Parvati, who kept demanding to "go home now!"

"No, Miss Patil, I can't send you home now," Mme Delacour had said, "but if you insist you can stay with us for the time being." That was how they all ended up in the Delacour sitting room. There was a fire blazing in the fireplace, even though it was very warm. Mme Delacour did not want to miss any messages that someone might try to send her. Harry, Susan, and Dean were all sitting on the couch. Harry couldn't help but notice that Susan was looking extremely tense and worried, as were Fleur and Percy.

"My parents are aurors," Susan said softly.

Parvati looked up at her with a grim look on her face. "Does that mean..." She didn't finish her sentence. Susan nodded, confirming her fears. Parvati looked horror-stricken, but didn't say anything further.

Mme Delacour came rushing every few seconds to check up on them, but she always found them all the same way; Fleur and Percy standing by the fireplace, Susan, Harry, and Dean sitting on the couch, Neville and Ginny sitting on two plush chairs, and Seamus, Parvati, Ron and Gabrielle were all huddled somewhat closely on the hardwood floor. Soon she grew tired of this running and threw herself down in one of the chairs. There was only a tense hanging silence in the room, until Dean spoke up. "Mme. Delacour, I've been meaning to ask you about this picture." He got up and took the picture that He and Seamus had been examining earlier. "Who are they?"

"Oh, my...I remember that like it was yesterday," Mme Delacour said, her eyes moistening. "That's little Fleur and Percy about 16 years ago." Fleur and Percy looked up with interest as Mme. Delacour began to explain. "A few years before my husband André was killed, I was in England working with a few other members of the French ministry, some of Dumbledore's operatives, and a few aurors and we all got to be very close. Even after I returned to France I kept up correspondence with them, your parents for example, Neville. I believe they actually brought you to visit on a few occasions before..." She nodded at Neville who flushed suddenly. Precious few people in the room knew why he did this, but Harry did and he felt very bad for him.

"So who's wedding is that?" Fleur asked, looking over her mother's shoulder at the picture of her and Percy.

"I'm getting to that," Mme. Delacour said exasperatedly. "I was going to come back to England for another meeting when I got another letter. One of my friends from the last meeting was asking a lot of questions about Fleur, which I found a little odd. I was a bit hesitant to mail her back but, but I did and what did I get in reply a short little letter asking, I remember this like it was yesterday, `Sophie darling, Would you mind terribly if Fleur was the flower girl in my wedding?' I agreed of course and that's where this picture was taken."

"You still didn't say who's wedding it was," Parvati pointed out, looking absolutely delighted at the discussion of weddings.

Mme. Delacour looked very nervous, as though she had been avoiding the question. She seemed to not want to say it out loud "Here I have the invitation." She got up and went to an extremely messy cupboard with a great deal of books inside. Neither Ron nor Harry could help but think of how Hermione would react to it. She pulled out a scrapbook filled with old papers and sat back down. The whole group of them crowded around as she flipped past a copy of her own wedding invitations and Fleur's birth certificate. She stopped on a jade green invitation with gold lettering, followed by a list of attendants.

The honour of your presence
is requested at the marriage of
Ms. Lillian Joy Evans
to
Mr. James Robert Potter
Saturday, the tenth of August
at four o'clock

Best man: Sirius Black
Maid-of-honour: Arabella Figg

Bridesmaid #1: Laura Prewett
Groomsman #1: Remus Lupin

Bridesmaid #2: Fiona Finnegan
Groomsman #2: Peter Pettigrew

Bridesmaid #3: Jean Longbottom
Groomsman #3: Frank Longbottom

Bridesmaid #4: Christine Grant
Groomsman #4: Jonathon Bones

Bridesmaid #5: Perdita Figg
Groomsman #5: Bill Weasley

Flower girl: Fleur Delacour
Ring bearer: Percy Weasley

Those who were close enough to actually read the invitation; namely Ron, Ginny, Susan, and Fleur let out a little gasp. Ginny grabbed both Harry and Neville by the wrists and tried to pull them closer so they could see, but now all twelve of them wanted to see what it was all about and she had a hard time getting them close enough. "Mum?" Seamus asked as he squeezed between Ginny and Susan to read the paper.

"My mum and dad were attendants #4?" Susan said softly.

"How do I not remember this?" Fleur and Percy both said at once, one in English the other in French.

"You were very little," Mme. Delacour said with a smile.

"Let Harry and Neville see it," Ginny commanded in a voice that didn't seem quite usual for her. The others obeyed. The two of them edged closer and looked, neither could speak. Harry's mouth seemed to have suddenly become glued shut and Neville was mouthing something silently that no one was really able to understand.

"Sophie Delacour!" shouted a voice from the fireplace. They all turned to see Michel Aulait's head floating there and looking absolutely livid.

"What is it M. Aulait?" Mme. Delacour asked, rather composed, at least more than one would expect when being screamed at. They continued their discussion about Mme. Delacour taking Parvati and leaving the Aulait's to worry, rather loudly, but no one else was paying attention. They were far too tired to bother.

~*~

After a few more days an okay was sent so that everyone could go home. Susan had gone home soon after the party and Patil's would be leaving in a few days. Parvati had happily said good-bye about an hour before the group of seven was awaiting in the Delacour's entrance hall to leave. Even Percy would be taking a port-key this time; he didn't feel up to apparating. "I seems like only yesterday you arrived," Fleur whispered to Percy, who smiled. Gabrielle giggled because she and Ron were both certain that he blushed. "I'll owl you as often as I can."

"So will I," Ron whispered to Gabrielle. She smiled and quickly kissed him on the cheek.

"Ron! Percy! We're going to leave with or without you!" Ginny cried, picking up the port-key, which would be leaving in several seconds. Both boys frowned and walked over to where Ginny and the others were. The all placed their hands on the aluminium can and vanished just as they had come.

THE END